Maronite Catholic Eparchy of San Charbel in Buenos Aires
| Eparchy of San Charbel in Buenos Aires (Maronite) Eparchia Sancti Sarbelii Bonaërensis Maronitarum Eparquía de San Charbel en Buenos Aires | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Ecclesiastical province | Buenos Aires |
| Metropolitan | Buenos Aires |
| Statistics | |
| Population - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 750,000[1] |
| Parishes | 4 |
| Information | |
| Sui iuris church | Maronite Church |
| Rite | West Syro-Antiochene Rite |
| Established | 5 October 1990 (25 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Saint Maron in Buenos Aires |
| Patron saint | St Charbel Makhluf |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Patriarch | Bechara Boutros al-Rahi |
| Eparch | Sede vacante |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Mario Aurelio Poli |
| Apostolic Administrator | Habib Chamieh |
| Emeritus Bishops | Charbel Georges Merhi |
| Website | |
| Website of the Eparchy | |
Maronite Catholic Eparchy of San Charbel in Buenos Aires[2] (Spanish: Eparquía de San Charbel en Buenos Aires; Latin: Eparchia Sancti Sarbelii Bonaërensis Maronitarum) is an eparchy (Eastern Catholic diocese) in the Maronite Catholic Church sui iuris (Antiochian Rite) covering Argentina (South America).
It has a cathedral episcopal see, the Catedral San Marón, located in the national capital Buenos Aires. In 2010 there were 750,000[3] members. It is currently governed ad interim by Apostolic administrator Habib Chamieh, Mariamite Maronite Order.
History
From July 5, 1901 began to come to Argentina the first Lebanese Maronite missionaries who founded the first mission in the Lebanese diaspora in South America.
The Eparchy of San Charbel was established by Pope John Paul II on 5 October 1990., on terrirory previously without proper Ordinary of the particular church. It is named after its patron saint, Charbel Makhluf.
Territory and statistics
The jurisdiction of the eparchy extends to all Maronite Catholic faithful living in Argentina. Its eparchial seat is the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, where is located the Saint Maron Cathedral.[4]
It is not exempt, nor a hierarchical part of the Maronite patriarchal ecclesiastical structure, but a suffragan see in the Ecclesiastical province of the Roman Rite Metropolitan Archdiocese of Buenos Aires in Argentina, like its Ukrainian Catholic counterpart, the Eparchy Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires.
The Christians of this diocese are mostly emigrants and are originally from Lebanon. Their naming is originated from Saint Maron the founder of the Maronite Church. The Eparchy of Saint Charbel of Buenos Aires counted some 750,000[5] Lebanese Maronite Catholics of prevailent Arab Christian origin in 2010 and there were four parishes.
Episcopal Ordinaries
(all Maronite Rite)
- Eparchs of San Charbel of Buenos Aires
- Charbel Georges Merhi, Congregation of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries (M.L.M.) (5 October 1990 - retired 17 April 2013)
- Apostolic Administrator Habib Chamieh, Mariamite Maronite Order (O.M.M., Aleppians) (17 April 2013 - ), Titular Bishop of Nomento (2013.04.17 – ...)
See also
References
- Ecclesiastical Guide of Argentina (AICA), Catholic Argentina Agency.
- Notes